Rose Petal Shortbread Cookies have the delicate flavor of rosewater and a sprinkling of rose petals on top for a simple but sophisticated cookie. Not only are these cookies pretty, but they also have that wonderful shortbread crumbly cookie texture.
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Shortbread cookies are hands-down one of my favorites. These classic treats are incredibly simple to make with just a handful of ingredients, delivering a lightly sweet, buttery flavor and a crispy, tender texture that practically melts in your mouth. Yes, all that in one cookie!
These rosewater cookies, adorned with edible flowers, are perfect for Valentine's Day or Mother's Day gifts. They stay fresh for weeks, travel beautifully, and always bring a smile as a thoughtful homemade treat.
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Recipe Highlights
Get the essential details of this rose shortbread at a glance:
- Type of recipe: Cookie
- Cooking method: Oven baked
- Skill level: Easy, mixing and rolling out dough
- Flavors & textures: Lightly sweet, with a buttery, crispy, tender texture and a rose flavor.
Rose Shortbread Cookies Ingredients
- Butter: Provides richness and a crumbly, melt-in-your-mouth texture typical of shortbread.
- Egg: Binds the dough, providing structure and moisture.
- Rose water: Infuses the cookies with a floral aroma and flavor. Make sure to use culinary rose water.
- Vanilla: Enhances the overall flavor by adding a warm, sweet undertone. You can even make your own vanilla extract if you like.
- Ground cardamom: Complements rosewater’s sweetness with its earthy, spicy aroma. Look for a good quality cardamom.
- Flour: Forms the structure of the cookies. The high ratio of flour gives the cookies their dense, shortbread texture.
- Baking powder: Provides a slight lift, giving the cookies a light crumb without making them airy.
- Glaze: Powdered sugar adds sweetness and forms the base, rose water imparts floral flavor, light corn syrup gives a shiny finish, and water adjusts the consistency for smooth application.
- Rose Petals: Garnish the cookies and provide a floral flavor. Use culinary-grade rose petals, crushed into small pieces.
How To Make Rose Shortbread Cookies
Step 1. Whisk flour, cardamom, baking powder, and salt.
Step 2. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar at low speed, then increase to medium speed to thoroughly cream. Add in the egg and vanilla extract and mix to combine.
Step 3. Slowly mix the flour mixture into the cookie dough until just combined. The dough will be a little loose but will come together when you press it together.
Step 4. On a surface dusted with flour, empty the cookie dough and knead it until it forms a cohesive mixture. Roll out the dough until it reaches a thickness of approximately ¼ inch. Use heart cookie cutters to cut out shapes and arrange them on the cookie sheets with 1-2 inches spacing between each.
Step 5. Place the cookie sheet in the freezer for 5-10 minutes. Then bake at 350°F for 9-12 minutes, or until the edges have just started to turn a light golden brown.
Step 6. While the cookies cool, whisk powdered sugar, rosewater, and corn syrup to create the glaze. Add water until the glaze is thick, easily spreadable, and not runny.
Step 7. Spoon a small amount of glaze over the cookie and spread to the edges. Sprinkle them with rose petals or sprinkles, or leave them plain and let the glaze harden on the cookies for a few hours.
Top Tips
- Butter temperature: Ensure your butter is at room temperature before starting. Cold butter won't mix well with the other ingredients, resulting in a lumpy dough.
- Rosewater quality: Opt for a high-quality rosewater for the best flavor. Cheap versions may have a synthetic taste.
- Dough consistency: The dough should be slightly crumbly but still able to hold its shape when formed. If it's too dry, add a bit more rose water; if it's too wet, add more flour.
- Chill time: Don't skip the dough chilling process. This step helps the cookies maintain their shape while baking.
- Bake time: Keep a close eye on the cookies while baking. You want them to be slightly golden but not brown.
- Flower press: If you want to add an extra touch of elegance, consider using a flower-shaped cookie cutter to create a beautiful design on your cookies before baking.
Variations
Other kinds of toppings can be used for these beautiful cookies
- Mix the crushed rose petals with coarse sugar and top the unbaked shortbreads.
- Leave the rose petals off the unbaked cookies, then bake the cookies and dip the ends in melted white chocolate, then sprinkle the rose petals on top of the chocolate.
- Add crushed rose petals to the dough.
- Sprinkle chopped pistachios on top, with or without the rose petals.
Recipe FAQ's
These are dried rose petals taken from roses grown and harvested, especially for food products without pesticides.
If you don't have cardamom in your cupboard, try this as a substitution. Mix equal amounts of cinnamon and ginger; this will be the closest flavor match.
Store the cooled Rose Cardamom Shortbread Cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. They will maintain their freshness for up to a week.
If you want to extend their shelf life, you can freeze them. Place the cookies in a freezer-friendly airtight container or Ziploc bag, separating layers with pieces of parchment paper to prevent sticking. They can be frozen for up to 3 months.
To enjoy, thaw overnight at room temperature.
Try Our Other Shortbread Cookie Recipes
- Chai Shortbread
- Dark Chocolate Shortbreads
- Easy Lemon Shortbread Cookies
- Chocolate and Cacao Nib Shortbreads
More Cookie Recipes
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Recipe
Rose Petal Shortbread
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup butter 2 sticks
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon rose water
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¾ teaspoon ground cardamom
- 3 cups flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Glaze
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoons rose water
- 1 ½ teaspoons light corn syrup
- 1 ½ teaspoon water
- ⅓ cup Rose petals for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar, on low speed, then increase to medium speed to thoroughly cream. Add in the egg, vanilla extract, and mix to combine. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, ground cardamom, baking powder, and salt. Slowly mix flour mixture into the cookie dough until just combined. Dough will be a little loose but will come together when you press it together.
- On a surface dusted with flour, empty the cookie dough and knead it until it forms a cohesive mixture. Roll out the dough until it reaches a thickness of approximately ¼ inch. Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes and arrange them on the cookie sheets with a spacing of 1-2 inches between each.
- Place the cookie sheet in the freezer for 5-10 minutes and then bake for 9-12 minutes, or until the edges have just started to turn a light golden brown. Let cookies cool on cookie sheets for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire cooling rack.
- Once cookies are completely cool, prepare the glaze. In a medium sized bowl, sift or whisk out any chunks from the powdered sugar. Add in the rosewater and corn syrup, whisking mixture together. Add the water until you reach your desired glaze consistency. I used about 1 teaspoon to get my glaze to be thick but also easily spreadable and not runny.
- Glaze cookies. Sprinkle them with rose petals or sprinkles, or leave them plain and let the glaze harden on the cookies for a few hours.
Notes
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Nutrition
First published July 26, 2018, last updated: Jan 01, 2025, for better readability and new images.
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Hello there, I'm Jere'
From learning to cook on a farm in Indiana to culinary school in California, my passion for food is never-ending. Turning on my oven to bake something for friends and family is my happy place, and I am glad to be here at One Hot Oven sharing sweet and savory family-friendly recipes for your cooking and baking inspiration.
Beth
I haven't been baking so much with rice flour lately, and I'm looking forward to trying this light. fragrant cookie. Love how you cut them into bars - the shape shows off the rose petals so well.
Sara Gibson
I have used rosewater and ginger in making Springerle cookies. Mild flavor.
Jere Cassidy
I have never made Springerle cookies and I want to try them. I even have some lovely molds. The rosewater and ginger sound delicious.
Candiss
I have been thinking of making some sort of rose treat recently and these shortbreads sound awesome. I also love that they are GF for my gluten free friends!
Michelle Frank | Flipped-Out Food
Noooooo! Growers are cultivating the rose smell out of the rose?! THAT'S THE BEST PART! But I love how you've crystallized the essence of the rose in your rose petal shortbread recipe. I've never baked with rose water before—let alone rose petals!—so I can't wait to give this a try! And I'm definitely trying out the other great uses you suggest for rose water!